


Thorn In My Side

by lost_stickie_note



Category: NINE PERCENT (Band), 偶像练习生 | Idol Producer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, M/M, One Shot, Romance, Someone tell me if this is the only Xiaoting fic on here, how is that even possible?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-02
Updated: 2018-07-02
Packaged: 2019-06-01 04:25:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15135050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lost_stickie_note/pseuds/lost_stickie_note
Summary: Xiao Gui is good at being a stylist, and he used to like his job.Key word, used to.





	Thorn In My Side

**Author's Note:**

> Filled request!
> 
> Mostly a fluffy one-shot.
> 
> :o So apparently this is the first Xiaoting fic on AO3? Or I'm just stupid and couldn't find them under the Relationship tag for some reason. Either way, I hope everyone enjoys, especially the requester. It was a fun little snippet to write. :)
> 
> Comments, kudos, and feedback are always appreciated!
> 
> Thank you to my wonderful beta-reader, you know who you are. :)

Xiao Gui is pissed.

 

He’s worked with models before, and inevitably, they are annoying and self-centered. It wasn’t that he didn’t expect the same this week on the photoshoot, but he didn’t realize the extent to which _he_ was going to be a thorn in his side. Because he swears that the other boy has been placed on this Earth solely to piss him off. He clenches his teeth and hopes that the model doesn’t hear the thoughts bouncing around in his head, ricocheting off the insides of his skull, causing a headache to come on. Because if the model could hear his thoughts, Xiao Gui would be very, very fired.

 

He can’t tell whether the smile on the model’s face is genuine, and he imagines that there has to be an evil mastermind behind that pretty exterior. “So, what exactly did you want?”

 

Zhengting is the model’s name, and currently Zhengting is the bane of his existence. “I said I wanted lemon water.”

 

Xiao Gui feels his hand tightening around the glass, squeezing hard in desperation to stop the anger from coming out of his mouth. “…and I got you lemon water.” He holds up the glass of water, clearly with a slice of lemon floating in it. He had to run all the way downstairs to the cafeteria to ask the lady behind the counter for _this goddamn lemon slice_.

 

Zhengting shakes his head and slows down his words as if it is Xiao Gui having difficulty understanding instead of him being an _ungrateful prick._ “I wanted lemon water…like lemon-flavored water. Specifically Nongfu brand.” The model flashes his perfect smile at Xiao Gui. “Please and thank you.”

 

And Xiao Gui is reminded of why he hates his job.

 

He is a damn stylist, for fucks’ sake.

 

Not a goddamn water boy.

 

And he forces his voice into a higher register, dripping sweetly like honey. “Okay, I will be right back with your _lemon water._ ” It takes all of his willpower not to throw the glass of water in Zhengting’s smug face.

 

Thirty minutes later, he comes back with the Nongfu lemon water. He had to run one block over to the convenience store to find it. And he had argued with the clerk, insisting that they _had to_ have some of the water in stock _somewhere in the back_ after he couldn’t find one of the right flavor in the fridges along the back wall.

 

Finally, one lemon water, courtesy of Xiao Gui.

 

And Zhengting is finally smiling at him sincerely, and Xiao Gui breathes a sigh of relief when handing over the drink. The other boy turns it around, takes one look at the nutrition label, and scrunches up his mouth unattractively. “Ew. This has way too much sugar in it. I can’t drink this.” Zhengting turns to face him, and the question comes out innocently. “Could you just get me a glass of regular tap water instead? Oh, and with ice.”

 

Xiao Gui swears Zhengting is the worst person he’s ever worked with.

 

* * *

 

 

Finally Xiao Gui is doing his actual job now.

 

Zhengting had come back from hair and make-up, ready to put on the chosen clothes for the photoshoot. And he has all the outfits lined up neatly on the rack, ready to go whenever Zhengting is ready. But the older boy is being difficult again, insisting that Xiao Gui help him put on the clothes. _Ridiculous._ Normally, he would just help with touch-ups, tucking in loose edges or making sure the material lies flat or in the most desirable way. Sometimes he helps put on clothing, usually when it involved lots of clips, ties, or other complications that are difficult to handle for the models.

 

He exhales slowly in frustration.

 

Xiao Gui makes sure to do a good job, nevertheless, not letting the fabric touch any parts of Zhengting’s skin that might have make-up and helping the other boy into the sleeves easily.

 

Zhengting does a spin to look in the mirror after all the clothes is on, making a satisfied nod to himself. And Xiao Gui watches the long legs stride out of the room, moving towards the set. He follows along, squeezing past the staff all bustling in the hallway.

 

He watches as the director instructs Zhengting, and the other boy is in his element now. Though he still thinks Zhengting is a jackass, there’s no denying that the boy is a _talented_ jackass. All the pictures that are taken come out breathtaking, and Xiao Gui scans the monitor as each one pops up. Normally, many takes are needed for models, and the expectation is that more takes means a higher chance of getting a good take. Most of the pictures would have small details that are wrong, making them ineligible for the final take.

 

But Zhengting is perfect.

 

His well-trained eye couldn’t pick out many bad takes, and it was clear that Zhengting didn’t have any bad angles either. _Well, color me impressed._ Zhengting looks regale in all his photos, giving off a princely demeanor. Xiao Gui would be lying to himself if he said he wasn’t physically attracted to the other boy, but his attitude problem shut off any thoughts of desirability. _Oh well, no one can have it all, I guess._ The director is finally satisfied, and he motions to Zhengting to come off the set in order to change into the next outfits.

 

And so their afternoon drags on, and Xiao Gui is getting tired now.

 

With each passing hour, Zhengting begins getting more and more irritable, snapping at Xiao Gui for being too slow and not efficient enough. After the first two hours, he starts to tune out the other boy’s criticisms. And he vaguely remembers that this job is supposed to last a week, and he shudders with displeasure. _I don’t know if I can make it that long._

He hears Zhengting about to complain again, and suddenly, it’s the last straw. His voice comes out strong and demanding. “Be quiet and just let me do my goddamn job.”

 

Xiao Gui can’t see the other boy’s face, but he is relieved when Zhengting falls silent.

 

He gives the model a light tap on the back, indicating that Zhengting is all set to go, and the other boy walks out to complete the last set of pictures for today.

 

_I deserve a drink today._

* * *

 

 

He shows up the next day, a bit hungover from the night before.

 

His friend Xingjie had insisted on attending the grand opening of a new club, and he had let himself be convinced into knocking one too many drinks back. Xiao Gui rubs his temples, applying pressing with his fingers to relieve the tension in his head. He’s snapped back to the present by the shrillness of Zhengting’s voice coming from the dressing room down the hall. “Where’s Xiao Gui? I need him to help me.”

 

_Goddamnit._

He hauls ass to get to the room and forces his face into a semblance of a smile. “How can I help you today?”

 

Zhengting’s tone is frosty, and the model turns to glare at the poor girl in the corner who had likely just come over to cover for him. She is supposed to be working with different models in the same building today, but Zhengting’s schedule starts the earliest. Xiao Gui shoots the girl a sympathetic smile, mouthing the words ‘I’m sorry’ at her.

 

“She’s incompetent.” Zhengting declares. “A button came loose when she started helping me put this on.” And indeed, Xiao Gui can see the spot that the model is talking about, the attachment of the button to the top looking frayed.

 

“Wait here, let me get the sewing kit.” Zhengting nods at him.

 

He returns a few minutes later and gets to work on reattaching the button. Xiao Gui can feel the other boy’s gaze on him, attempting to bore a hole through his skull. He holds the needle in his mouth until his fingers finish undoing the loose ends of the thread. He wants to make the new attachment as clean as possible. After snipping the loose thread, he works on putting in a new one. Xiao Gui is uncomfortably aware of how close he is to Zhengting’s neck, and he tries to resist breathing too hard over the other boy’s bare skin. Even so, he can see each time the model swallows, he’s _that close._

 

After a few more moments, he finishes working on the button. “There, you’re all set.”

 

Zhengting’s eyes are soft, and Xiao Gui wonders how it can be such a big contrast from the words that come out of his mouth. “Thank you.” And for once, the words are thoughtful and kind, without any of the bite from yesterday.

 

He wonders if something had happened to make Zhengting more manageable today. Xiao Gui doesn’t hear any complaints from the model for the rest of the morning, and he starts to get concerned. It was out of characteristic for the other boy to be so silent, and Xiao Gui never thought the day would come in which he missed being yelled at. Zhengting seems down, but he’s not sure how to bring up the topic, instead choosing to help put on the model’s outfits in silence.

 

It’s lunchtime now, and Xiao Gui is heading back to the dressing room, and he hears the yelling coming from the dressing room. So he picks up his pace, assuming that Zhengting has regained his temper and is screaming at some poor staff member. _I can fix this._

And he’s about to walk into the room, to stare down Zhengting and give him a taste of his own medicine. But he halts, frozen to the spot. Because it’s not Zhengting who is yelling, it is a woman yelling at Zhengting, her back to the open door. He doesn’t move quickly enough to move out of sight though, and Zhengting catches his eye, his face unreadable.

 

Xiao Gui is standing outside of the door, his back pressed to the wall next to the doorframe, listening. And he can’t help but feel bad hearing the woman screaming at the model. All her words are meant to hurt, and Zhengting isn’t protesting or protecting himself against any of the criticisms she is raining down on him. He makes himself look as if he’s doing something else when the lady storms out of the room, but she doesn’t pay him any heed.

 

He walks into the dressing room, finding Zhengting staring stony-faced into the mirror. Xiao Gui is shifting awkwardly from one foot to another, trying to decide what to do. He makes up his mind. “Are you in trouble? Is that your manager?”

 

“No, my mother.”

 

_Oh shit._

 

Xiao Gui wants to give Zhengting the biggest hug to chase away the frown from the other boy’s face. “It’s okay though. I’m used to it, and she’s always been like this.”

 

He grabs a seat next to the model and silently takes Zhengting’s hand in his, and they stay like that until hair and make-up calls Zhengting over.

 

* * *

 

 

“This is lukewarm.” Zhengting’s tone has returned to demanding the next day. “I like my water to be iced.”

 

“Well, sweetie, since you’re such an ice queen, maybe you should blow on it to make it colder.” Xiao Gui is having none of it today. Last night had been terrible. The apartment next to him was playing loud music the entire night, likely having a party, and he had gotten next to no sleep. Not to mention, he hasn’t had his morning coffee yet since the coffee maker is broken, and the lack of caffeine is making him grumpier than usual.

 

The comment is worth it though just to see the look of absolute shock on Zhengting’s face.

 

_I guess no one ever talks back to him._

Expecting a sharp rebuke, Xiao Gui winces.

 

But it never comes.

 

The model smiles brightly at him instead.

 

“Did you just call me sweetie?”

 

Xiao Gui feels the regret wash over him when Zhengting smirks. “I didn’t know you were into me like that.”

 

So. Much. Regret.

 

And the banter continues into the afternoon, and Xiao Gui isn’t sure anymore whether they are just trading sarcastic barbed remarks or if they are straight up flirting. Any thoughts of it being platonic goes out the window though later that day. Xiao Gui is prepared to hand Zhengting his next outfit as soon as the other boy walks into the dressing room, and Zhengting pulls his previous top over his head without warning.

 

The model gives him a salacious smile and wink upon seeing his eyes widen. “Like what you see?”

 

Xiao Gui can feel himself blushing, and the sound of Zhengting’s laughter echoes in his head for the rest of the day.

 

* * *

 

 

The week passes by in a flash, and Xiao Gui has gotten used to Zhengting now. And he wonders whether he should pursue something with the model. Their banter had really turned into flirty the last few days, and Xiao Gui had to admit to himself that he didn’t mind when Zhengting touched him unnecessarily. Their hands would sometimes meet while he helped dress the model, and yesterday, Xiao Gui had almost fallen over when the taller boy had walked in and given him a back-hug, putting too much of his weight on Xiao Gui.

 

He scans the scene, watching as Zhengting is posing for more pictures.

 

No, he definitely didn’t mind the model’s company anymore.

 

On the other hand, Zhengting is still a client, and Xiao Gui grimaces when he thinks of how unprofessional it would look if he asked the other boy out. _Probably wouldn’t get another client after that._ Zhengting is frowning when he walks in today, a stormy look on his face. Xiao Gui doesn’t have the courage to ask what’s wrong, but he gets close nevertheless, resting a hand on the other boy’s shoulder.

 

He can see Zhengting’s expression softening in the mirror, and the model turns to look at him. _Oh wow, he really does have the most beautiful lips._ “Hey, Xiao Gui, I know it’s the last day that we’re working together. Do you mind if we go out sometime? Maybe for dinner?” And Zhengting is biting his lower lip, indecision written on his face.

 

Xiao Gui stammers out a half-formed response. “I don’t know if I can do that…I mean, you’re my client and all…” He trails off, not knowing what else to say.

 

Suddenly, Zhengting snaps his fingers.

 

“Follow me.”

 

And the other boy is pulling on his wrist, practically dragging him down the hall. Xiao Gui has no clue where the boy is taking him, but he follows along anyway. They’re moving towards the front doors to the building now, and he has to wonder whether Zhengting even has an actual plan in mind. The sunlight almost blinds him when they open the door, and instantly, he almost becomes blinded a second time, the flash from the crowd of cameras going off all at the same time.

 

“Hey everyone, I know you all want the scoop and stalk me all day and night to get it. So I just want to make sure everyone hears this loud and clear, so get out your recorders and take down this quote.”

 

Zhengting flashes the crowd of paparazzi a brilliant smile. “So I’ve decided that I want to date this man right here.” Xiao Gui feels extremely embarrassed as Zhengting raises his hand for extra emphasis, still holding onto his wrist. “It was my decision, and my decision only. He did not try and pursue an inappropriate work relation with me.”

 

The model pauses. “Make sure you all write that down word-for-word.”

 

A barrage of questions swells up from the crowd, and Xiao Gui can’t keep track of what everyone is saying. But Zhengting is used to the limelight, and he just claps cheerfully.

 

“And now what you’ve all been waiting for.”

 

Xiao Gui doesn’t know whether to be scared or amused by Zhengting’s cheeky grin.

 

And the answer is neither.

 

He gasps as Zhengting captures his lips in a kiss, moving sensually over his, his tongue tracing the outline of his lower lip. And he opens his mouth slightly so that their tongues can dance around each other. Xiao Gui is vaguely aware that a million pictures are being taken, but he doesn’t care. The kiss lasts forever in his mind. When they finally break apart, Zhengting is still smiling at him, a soft expression on his face.

 

“Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you my boyfriend, Xiao Gui."

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to check out my other works. :)
> 
> Comments, kudos, and feedback are always appreciated!


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